Up with the lark today, and it is a much cooler day. Yeah, I know it's early but, I was sitting here last night at about 10pm with sweat dripping down the back of my neck. Nice. Enough is enough! I have to tackle two technical issues today. First and foremost, get my printer up and running. Need to print off some job search evidence to take to JC on Friday. I also fancy printing out some images of the world cup to make a small banner for my window! Next will be work out why my TV is not picking up Freeview channels today. Maybe the aerial has melted....

Good Morning Wild Ones, a bit steamy here. I must buy a melon when I go down for the papers.I believe that spaghetti on toast is a unique British dish. Has Heston produced his own version?Zosh, thanks for the explanation and pic of the Hobbit House

Good morning wild ones. Hot again today my tomato plants are going mad, I have tomatoes everywhere, the neighbours are hiding in case I try to give them more I must find my tomato recipes and get to work using them up

Good morning everyone,My tomatoes have long way to go before they'll be ripe but all being well it looks promising for a bumper crop. I tend to make lots of passatta and freeze it with any excess.The bbq last night was really good and apart from a little salad & some bread there are no leftovers, the brisket was gorgeous, melt in the mouth tender but still pink. I sampled the seaweed gin and really liked it. Definitely one if you like savoury rather than sweet tastes. I must get some more elderflower tonic as that worked really well with it.Apart from cleaning out the bbq, I'm not sure what my plans are. My son is going fishing but just catch & release so no fishy dinner tonight. Weather looks as though it's going to be another hot and sticky one. It did get chilly late on yesterday and it rained for all of 5 secs just after 11pm, when we felt the spots I hoped we might get a decent shower overnight but it never came to anything.

We had rellies visiting and missed the first half 'cos we were sitting out in the garden ... then we heard a huge cheer and realised what the time was and went indoors to watch the second half

Still very dry here ... plants ... big plants ... are dying in the garden ... we've been using the watering cans to give them a drink in the evenings but this morning they're still looking sad so I've put the hose pipe on to dribble slowly at the base of some of the biggest ones ... I've set a timer so I can't forget to turn it off when they've had a good soak.

Reading about the tomato gluts, I buy local tomatoes, cook them down then freeze. Lots of lovely tomato sauce, great in February. Luckily our local supermarket occasionally sells large bags. They usually weigh about 2 Kg per bag.Mentioning bags, the plastic bag ban is kicking in, I must remember to keep a shopping bag in the car boot.

i now have a collection of morse bags and the fabric ones given away as freebies at event fairs. i pass them on to the odd person who has landed up at a checkout with no bag (less of an occurrence now that people are accustomed to the ban).

Didn't surface very early this morning after all that footie and tennis not to mention le Tour.

Mr R said after the first 15 minutes of the Englaand match that it would be a good day to go to Ikea Zosh. I thought it was very like going into Ikea to find a couple of things then trying to find your way out. Fortunately they found the check out! I love the Geordie Goalie . I also love the way the Russian managed to wear out/damage the Croatians for us

We have been doing as many chores as possible this morning because we have quite a full week ahead of us this week and need time for all the sport as well. It has been decided that if by any chance France play England in the final we are having a village party. But lets get there first.

I've got a beef pave marinating ready to throw on the bbq tonight and a tray of baked stuffed apricots for afterwards. Now for le Tour Day2. A part of France we know well from our early days of exporing the country.

I know that tinned spaghetti was the thing that put me off pasta for life. I remember throwing up comprehensively the first and only time I ever had it.

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

We had melon and ham for lunch plus grilled halloumi drizzled with pomegranate molasses, just what you need on a hot day. It is great to be able to purchase good, ripe local fruit. Not many food miles/kilometres in the melon or halloumi It is 6 00pm here, no one is stirring outside

We have a local cherry area but it is much too hot to stand in the sun today, so I have just rounded off my BBQ with a multicoloured bubblegum flavoured ice-cream on a stick - the last one, so maybe a trip to town soon. I do have 2 bananas frozen on a plate in the DF that I must 'deal with' just flagging a bit at the moment. I have retired to my boudoir where the blinds are down and the fan is on. I have been awake since 5am so am due a break......

icelesley wrote:Good morning wild ones. Hot again today my tomato plants are going mad, I have tomatoes everywhere, the neighbours are hiding in case I try to give them more I must find my tomato recipes and get to work using them up

We have LOADS of tomatos developing. The biggest is the size of a golf ball! No ripe ones yet, tho.

We just need to make sure the gastropods don't get at 'em!

The latest on those boys trapped in that cave - four of them are out safely, and they hope to get the rest out within the next day or so

Grasshopper

Spring ventures forth to plant the grainAnd Summer dries the strawAutumn gathers in the harvestAnd Winter shuts the door

Yep, Chilean miners all over again.Someone said today that it's not over until all the rescuers are out.I was ashamed as I had just said it wasn't over until the last one was out, thinking of the team coach.

I have been trying to catch the news about the lads and their coach in the caves. I am glad to hear they are making headway. Does anyone else agree that they should only have shared images of those trapped down there with their families and not with the whole world? It must be so stressful for all involved at first hand. Their poor little faces down there! I am finding it kind of intrusive, and if they don't get them all out, weirdly morbid. I still have them in my thoughts and hoping for a 100% successful rescue. Such a completely wretched situation.

Grassy, Not a slug or snail to be seen anywhere with all this dry hot weather, my tomatoes are swelling by the day even the outside ones are doing great. My cucumber plant grows over 4 inches per day at the moment.

I have a bit of a fear of caves and restricted access that sometimes come with them. One of my worst nightmares contain caves and passages. I have struggled to watch much footage of the problem in Thailand.....

Good Morning Wild Ones, I agree about the photos of those boys trapped in the cave in Thailand, perhaps there should have been one, just to prove that they had been found. I shall wait until all of them are out.

Morning all! It is looking as though rain is a possibility in a week or so. I have remembered to put out receptacles to collect the water one runs whilst waiting for hot to come through and for odd amounts such as when a glass of water isn't finished. I doubt it will save a reservoir but if everyone did it it could.

Up bright and early as I went to bed early. No more work for a while - hooray! Masses of housework and finally unpacking the camping things on the cards for today. I have set a timetable so I don't procrastinate. GD all day tomorrow and away again on Wed.

I don't think anyone is afforded the dignity they would have been once since we've had social media and very intrusive journalism. It will be amazing if the cave rescue is a resounding success, we can only hope and pray.

Whilst I am happy for everyone, I feel that this morning's news has a rather trying percentage of world cup, considering everything else going on in the world.

Edited to say it was the BBC TV news which lacks much in the way of intellect at the best of times

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Most of the washing is nearly dry already. It's going to e hot again, just for a change.

Saving water comes as second nature to us . We were well trained in the Bahamas where every drop we used had to be pumped up by hand and you never knew if the well would dry up. Every drop is metered here - apart from that which comes from the well.which has also been known to run dry in very dry summers. i have a bucket in the kitchen and all water veg prep, oil egs etc ect goes in there. As em says every little helps.

Mr R woke me up at 6.00 this morning to tell me that DD had resigned. We both wonder what Dead Ringers will do now without Brexit Bulldog to mock!. What a mess and now there is The Donald's visit on Friday 13 for us all to look forward to - Oh Joy.

Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

Good morning everyone,My sister's cat loves mushrooms & corn especially baby sweetcorn!Overcast & much cooler this morning though forecasted to get warm again later. I took advantage of the lower temperature to finish (for the time being) taming the jungle in the greenhouse. Everything is looking nice and orderly now.

A bit cooler today so I have taken the opportunity to do some cooking......... i am now very hot and sweaty!

Still, have enough stuff cooked to last the week, just using the hob and microwave to reheat etc. It’s far too hot to even consider switching the Rayburn on, I think we would all pass out!

Great ( mustn’t forget the great) Yorkshire Show tomorrow, my niece is showing pigs and has had a special pass out from school as it’s considered educational. Really looking forward to it, it’s usually a grand day out.

Getting up early reaps such benefits! Lots of tidying. cleaning, washing and other bits and bobs done. Now to shower and go shopping. An odd list today, things for GD's lunch tomorrow and goodies to give when I go away. I might go and have a sniff round a nice farm shop not far away (which has gourmet goodies as well). If there's a space outside the house when I get back then I will have no excuse not to put the camping things away and clean out the car. Phew, it may be another early night .

I love county shows.

Edited to say .. the sky has suddenly filled with cloud and there is a dark grey one over my garden . Dare I hope?

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I have been in the craft room and retrieved some toppers I bought last year and a pile of card offcuts so now I can start preparing Christmas cards. I think I have spotted my box of glue syringes but I can't get at them as they are in the top left hand corner of my shelves I will use tape instead for the moment.

StokeySue wrote:Rats worried me - I wondered what contretemps had occurred to cause her daughter to resign in the middle of the night!

and me.

i always get annoyed with initials like that - i never know if people are talking about son in laws, sister in laws, a nintendo or making a sound of surprise. you can tell that i never use text speak, either - thankfully neither do my young. my partner does (of his own devising rather than convention) for which our young ridicule him.

liketocook wrote:Good morning everyone,My tomatoes have long way to go before they'll be ripe but all being well it looks promising for a bumper crop. I tend to make lots of passatta and freeze it with any excess.The bbq last night was really good and apart from a little salad & some bread there are no leftovers, the brisket was gorgeous, melt in the mouth tender but still pink. I sampled the seaweed gin and really liked it. Definitely one if you like savoury rather than sweet tastes. I must get some more elderflower tonic as that worked really well with it.Apart from cleaning out the bbq, I'm not sure what my plans are. My son is going fishing but just catch & release so no fishy dinner tonight. Weather looks as though it's going to be another hot and sticky one. It did get chilly late on yesterday and it rained for all of 5 secs just after 11pm, when we felt the spots I hoped we might get a decent shower overnight but it never came to anything.

Is it the Da Mhile Seaweed gin? I had a couple of sample bottles a couple of years ago - I quite liked it. Have you tried the Gwyr gin? It is very fennel -y but goes really well with prosecco

Mr. Z. said first thing, TM may not be around for much longer ....... Boris was waving his arms around like mad at Chequers at the w/e, his mop of blonde was waggling around as well. He looked quite animated.

Good Luck with the Painters induction....

Thanks for the wishes for Mr. Z. Looks like he is going to survive........ for the time being........ One level was abnormal but Dr. said 'to be expected at his age', no need to change anything in the new future.